Cavan slip to opening-round defeat to Monaghan
NFL Division 2 Round 1
Cavan 0-20
Monaghan 2-22
Paul Fitzpatrick at Kingspan Breffni
Coming into this clash, Cavan and Monaghan had met 20 times in league and championship since 1990 at various venues in the drumlin belt, with just five home wins in that time. That unusual record is now extended after Monaghan came from four down in the first half to win with eight to spare.
With their side ahead by 0-9 to 1-2 at the end of the first quarter, the Breffni faithful were purring as the future, in these new rules, seemed to promise riches. In the end, though, it felt like fool’s gold as some dreadful shooting – Cavan had a dozen wides in total – put paid to their chances against an impressive Monaghan.
Cavan registered four two-pointers in the first half, three of them from play, but still trailed at the interval, Conor McCarthy’s third-minute penalty helping them to a 1-10 to 0-12 half-time lead.
Cavan got off to a great start when rookie Sean McEvoy nailed a two-point free but then came McCarthy’s spot kick after Ryan McAnespie was pushed in the back.
There wasn’t much between them in the first half but wind-assisted Cavan registered seven wides and messed up a couple of good goal chances while the visitors had just one wide, an uncharacteristic missed free from the influential Rory Beggan.
Padraig Faulkner, with a great effort from the right wing, and Luke Molloy (free) nudged the home side back in front before Ryan McAnespie levelled it up.
Beggan, in the quarter-back role, teed Barry McBennett up for Monaghan’s next before three scores from Dara McVeety – two of them two-pointers – made it 0-9 to 1-2 in favour of the hosts.
But the Farney made inroads with two Beggan two-pointers (the second a free) and a white flag from Sean Jones as they hit the front on 22 minutes.
McEvoy, who shone for Cavan, tied the game but two points from captain Micheál Bannigan and a David Garland free – brought forward when Cavan failed to hand the ball back – made it 1-10 to 0-12 before an Oisin Kiernan two-pointer saw them going in with just the minimum between them.
Monaghan dominated the second half, however. After a dashing run from Bannigan, Garland bundled home an early goal and the Donaghmoyne man quickly added a point to leave five between them.
Goalkeeper Gary O’Rourke and David Hamill traded scores but Monaghan were growing stronger as Cavan wilted. McBennett and McCarthy (two-pointer) registered; Conor Madden fisted one for Cavan but a Beggan free from outside the arc – moved up 50 metres – made it 2-17 to 0-14.
Cavan dug in and clawed back four points in succession from Thomas Edward Donohoe (free), McEvoy (two, one free) and the impressive McVeety to make it a five-point game but Monaghan managed the remaining time well.
Bannigan and James Smith exchanged points but any faint hopes of an unlikely comeback were dashed with scores from Jack McCarron and Bannigan, followed by a well-taken two-pointer from Garland.
Cavan: G O’Rourke (0-1), N Carolan, B O’Connell, J McLoughlin, P Faulkner (0-1), D McVeety (0-4, 1tp), O Kiernan (Castlerahan, 0-2, 1tp), K Clarke (0-2, 1tp), E Crowe, Ciaran Brady, G Smith, L Molloy (0-1f), R O’Neill, J Smith (0-1), S McEvoy (0-5, 1tpf, 1f)
Subs: R Donohoe for E Crowe, TE Donohoe (0-1f) for R O’Neill (both ht), Conor Madden (0-2) for G Smith (47), T Madden for L Molloy (54), Cian Reilly for P Faulkner (70)
Monaghan: R Beggan (0-6,1 tp, 2 tpf), R Wylie, K Lavelle, D Byrne, R O’Toole, G McPhilips, C McCarthy (1-2, 1-0 pen, 2ptf), B McBennett (0-2), M McCarville, R McAnespie (0-1), M Bannigan (0-4, 2f), C McNulty, D Garland (1-4, tp, 1f), M Hamill (0-1), S Mooney
Subs: J Dougan for M Hamill (temp, 10, reversed 15), B McCaul for M Hamill (temp, 21, reversed 28), S Jones for S Mooney (43), B McCaul for C McNulty (54), J McCarron (0-1f) for B McBennett (60), J Irwin for G McPhilips (69), C Lennon for R O’Toole (70)
Ref: L Devenney (Mayo)